Curiosity draws crowds to Sonia’s public meet

“She is a gori. I know that much and the rest doesn’t matter. I will see her and then go back,” says Nasreenben. Curiosity also drew Alka. “There is so much talk about her on TV; that she is a foreigner and cannot speak Hindi and that she is trying to become our next prime minister. I want to know what the truth is. But I also want to know what she looks like,” says she.

Sonia arrived and immediately dispelled many myths about herself.

“She looks so young and has a doll like face,” was what a wonder-struck Vajubhai Barad said. “I remember seeing Indira Gandhi once waving at the crowds the same way as she did now. Only then the crowds were so big,” he recollects. “And she can also read Hindi,” added Limbabhai.

However, many went home disappointed as Sonia Gandhi, clad in a green cotton saree, hurried through the public meeting like a whirlwind and left the crowd asking for more.

Arriving about an hour late, Sonia, accompanied by Rahul Gandhi, left the local leaders and security personnel behind as she walked briskly, almost sprinting, firing orders constantly and urging them to go through the proceedings quickly.

In five minutes, she went through a salute given by Congress workers, met the local leaders, got introduced to local candidate Raghavji Patel and was beside C D Patel on the platform, waiting impatiently for her turn to speak.

Sonia fumbled initially with the written text. The crowd was amused as they saw her struggling with the pronunciation of Raghavji’s name. But once she overcame the initial hesitation, she went through her speech quickly. Her target was the ruling party, though she didn’t actually mention the party by name, and the crowd lapped it up.

“Hamare shahidon ke kabr woh apne vijay ki baaton se dhakhna chahtein hai,” she read, sending the crowd into wild cheers. `Woh nafrat ke saudagar hain aur unke raj mein brashtachar hai,’ she continued.

“They knew about Kargil since last September but kept quiet. And due to their dirty politics many soldiers have died,” she said, but this time there was no applause.

“We are not the kind who will say that mandir and masjid are important issues before the elections and then conveniently forget them once we come to power,” she pointed out.

In her 12-minute long speech, she failed to touch on any local issues but doled out a string of promises. “Poverty and unemployment are the issues that I want to effectively tackle. I intend to make education free till university for girls from backward communities and introduce the mid-day meal scheme effectively in primary schools,” she said.

“I will also strengthen the panchayati raj system which will be very effective for this country’s progress. Congress is a party that has always had secular governments which maintained brotherhood, peace and harmony among all. Today, you see that the country is deep in crime against women and spitting venom and violence in the name of religion. As a woman I want to assure all women security and peace.”

The Congress has always worked for the progress for this country and just like Indiraji and Rajivji, I will also work for this country.”

Politics means serving you. It is also a struggle. But now I am ready for that struggle and I will lead this nation,” she declared as a thunderous cheer went up from the crowd.